How to Register as a Vendor in Florida

What it's for

MyFloridaMarketPlace (MFMP) is Florida's statewide eProcurement system, run by the Department of Management Services (DMS). Vendors register in its Vendor Information Portal (VIP), and state agencies post their bid advertisements there (it replaced the old Vendor Bid System). As FDOT puts it: "All companies who wish to do business with the State of Florida must register with My Florida Marketplace."

Have this ready

• Federal Tax ID (FEIN/EIN, or SSN for a sole proprietor) and legal business name
• Business type and Florida Secretary of State (Sunbiz) registration, if you're a Florida entity or registered to do business in Florida
• Business address(es) and the locations that will take orders or receive payment
• Contact person, phone, and email
• Commodity codes for what you sell. DMS publishes an MFMP guide on selecting commodity codes.
• A W-9 or payment details may be requested. DMS's Vendor Registration Quick Reference Guide lists exact fields but could not be read for this guide.

Steps

1. Go to the VIP registration page (vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/register).
2. Create your account and enter your company's tax ID, legal name, and business type.
3. Add your business locations and contacts.
4. Select the commodity codes that describe your goods and services. These determine which advertisements you're notified about.
5. Review and submit. Keep your login; you'll need it for sourcing events and to update your profile.
6. Search open advertisements on the VIP bid search and follow each solicitation's instructions to respond. Some are run as online events in MFMP; others take responses as the ad directs.

DMS posts step-by-step guides (Vendor Registration Quick Reference Guide, Selecting Commodity Codes, Understanding the Transaction Fee) on its MFMP Vendors page. That site blocks automated reading, so screen-level detail here is intentionally general.

After you register

• Keep contacts, locations, and commodity codes current in VIP so notices and purchase orders reach the right person.
• If you win work, expect the MFMP transaction fee on payments unless an exemption applies (e.g., purchasing card payments, registered non-profits, certain emergency purchases).
• Use MFMP resources on the DMS site for help; renewal requirements were not confirmed from an official source.

Watch out for

• Transaction fee: registering appears free, but Rule 60A-1.031 makes vendors pay a transaction fee (1.0%, or as otherwise set by law) on many state payments. Build it into your pricing and confirm the current rate with DMS.
• Construction and DOT are separate: FDOT advertises construction in its Bid Solicitation Notices on the FDOT Contracts Administration site (fdot.gov/contracts). Prime contractors bidding construction jobs over $250,000 must be FDOT-prequalified, and FDOT still requires MFMP registration.
• Not every agency posts only in VIP. Some agencies and universities use their own systems.
• Paid third-party "registration services" are not required for MFMP registration.

Sources

• vendor.myfloridamarketplace.com/search/bids
• www.dms.myflorida.com/business_operations/state_purchasing/myfloridamarketplace/mfmp_vendor
• flrules.org/gateway/ruleno.asp?id=60A-1.033
• flrules.org/gateway/ruleno.asp?id=60a-1.031
• www.fdot.gov/contracts/faq.shtm

FindMyBids isn't affiliated with any government agency. Registration is free or low cost on official sites; you don't need to pay a third party. Always follow the official portal's instructions.